Running-gear.



No. 770,726. V PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

A. F. MADDEN. RUNNING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12- 1904.

N0 MODEL. E

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ticularly for "self-propelled vehicles, though 3 ll NITED STATESPatented September 20, 1904.

PATENT 'OEEICE.

ALBERT F. MADDEN, OF NEWARK, NEW J ERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO VEHICLE EQUIPMENTCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW RUNNING-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,726, datedSeptember 20, 1904 Application filed Ianuary 12, 1904. Serial No.188,683. (No model.)

-T0 at whom it may concern:

'ingis a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanyingand forming part of the same.

My invention relates to running-gears, parit will also be found of valuefor vehicles of other types. I

The object of the invention is to provide a strong simple constructionwhich will permit free vertical movement of the wheels and body relativeto each other, but at the same time prevent, with as little friction andstrain on the parts as possible, relative movement or displacement inany other direction. For this I purpose I employ, in connection with thebody of the vehicle, the axle, and the intermediate resilient devices, apedestal or guide or a plurality thereof to prevent longitudinalmovement of the axle relative to the body and provide devicescooperating with the pedestal or guide to prevent lateral or transversemovement. These latter devices may also be so constructed as to permitvertical motion of the ends of the axle independently of each othersuch,for example, as would be caused by greater weight on one side of thevehicle than on the other or greater unevenness on one side of theroadway than on the other.

In my copending application, filed of even date herewith, Serial No.188,682, I have shown a construction of the character described abovewhich will permit a limited movement of the axle ends relativev to eachother without undue friction and strain on the operative parts. Theinvention which forms the subject of my present application, however, isin some respects'simpler than that disclosed in my copending applicationjust mentioned and will also permit greater movement of the axle endsrelative to each other. A

convenient embodiment of the same is shown in the accompanying drawlngs,1n wh1ch Figure 1 is an end elevation; Fig. 2, a detail view, partly insection; and Fig. 3, a section on line III III of Fig. 1. I

The body of the vehicle is indicated by 1. At substantially the centerof the same viewed from the front or rear is arranged a pedestal,preferably consisting of a pair of parallel guides or rails 2 3, securedto the body in any convenient manner. Extending transversely through thepedestal between the guides or rails is the axle 4, preferably providedat its center with a suitable enlargement 5. On

1 each side of the axle between the same and the adjacent guide or railis a shoe, as 6 7, each having a stud, as 8 9, journaled in anopening'inthe enlarged part of the axle. The shoes have flanges, asshown, engaging the guides on opposite sides thereof. Between the shoesand the guides or rails I prefer to place a'plurality of rollers 10 forthe purpose of reducing the friction on the moving parts. The body ofthe vehicle is yieldingly supported by the axle through theinstrumentality of resilient devices, such as the leafsprings 11 12. Atthe ends of the axle are additional pedestals composed of guides orrails 13 14, between which the axle extends. A strut or brace connectsthe lower ends of all the pedestals; as clearly shown in the drawings,whereby the whole forms avery strong and rigid construction. I prefer toenlarge the axle at the ends, as indicated at 15 16, Fig. 1, to furnisha larger bearing-surface in engagement with the guides of the endpedestals. In the construction illustrated the axle is provided at eachend with a bracket carrying a horizontally-swinging spindle of thewell-known form to permit steering of the vehicle, and the enlargementmentioned may be the Web of the bracket itself or independent of thesame or may perform the function of a brace to give additional strengthto the bracket.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the body and axle are free tomove vertically toward or away from each other, but that displacement ofthe axle longitudinally of the vehicle will be prevented by thepedestals and that transverse displacement of the axle will be preventedby the flanges of the shoes 6 7, which engage the guides or rails of thecentral pedestal. At the same time the angular position of the shoesrelative to the axle may be varied by reason of the pivoted con-'nection between the two, so that the ends of ole-body yieldinglysupported thereby, of a pedestal constituting a guide for the axle,carried by the body midway of the axle, means engaging the guide toprevent transverse displacement of the axle relative tothe body, pivotalconnection between the axle and said means to permit vertical movementof the axle ends independently of each other, and a pedestal at each endof the axle forming guides or rails therefor, as set forth.

2. The combination with an axle having a central enlargement, andavehiclebody yieldingly supported by the axle,of a pedestal carried bythe body, having guides or rails on opposite sides of the centralenlargement of the axle, shoes between the enlargement and the guides'orrails, having studs journaled in said enlargement, means to preventtransverse displacement of the axle relative to the body, and pedestalsat the ends of the axle constituting guides or rails therefor, assetforth.

3. The combination with an=axle and a vehicle-body yieldingly supportedthereby, of a pedestal carried by the body, having guides or rails onopposite sides of a central enlargement of the axle, means engaging theguides or rails to prevent transverse displacement of the axle relativeto the body, pivotal connections between the enlargement of the axle andsaid means to permit vertical movement of the axle ends independently ofeach other, and antifriction-rollers between said guides and said means,as set forth.

4:. The combination of an axle having enlargements at its centerandends, a vehiclebody yieldingly supported by said axle, a pedestal orguide carried by the body having guides or rails on opposite sides ofthe central enlargement of the axle, shoes intermediate the centralenlargement of the axle and the guides or rails, said shoes beingpivoted in the enlargement, antifriction-rollers carried by the shoesand bearing on the guides or rails, and pedestals carried by the bodyhaving guides or rails onopposite sides of the enlargements of the endsof the axle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination with an axle and a vehicle-body yieldingly supportedthereby, of a pedestal constituting a guide for the axle, carried by thebody midway of the axle, means carried by the axle and engaging theguide to prevent transverse displacement of the axle relative to thebody, and pedestals at the ends of the axle forming guides or railstherefor to prevent longitudinal movement of the axle relative to thebody, as set forth.

6. The combination with an axle and a vehicle-body yieldingly supportedthereby, of a pedestal constituting a: guide for the axle carried by thebody midway of the axle, means carried by the axle and engaging theguide to prevent transverse displacement of the axle relative to thebody, pedestals at the ends of the axle forming: guides or railstherefor to prevent longitudinal movement of the axle relative to thebody, and a strut or brace connecting all of the pedestals, as setforth;

ALBERT F. MADDEN. Witnesses:

M. LAWSON DYER, S. S. DUNHAM.

